Toledo

There are no aires in Toledo and just the one campsite, so Camping Del Greco is the only game in town for visiting in a motorhome. Whilst it’s not the cheapest campsite, there’s a bus stop at the entrance and it’s just a 10 minute ride from the centre, so it’s well located.

The old town dates back over 2,000 years, and covers a steep hill on a bend in the River Tagus. It’s one large labyrinth, with loads of narrow lanes and alleyways criss-crossing one another, making it really easy to get lost. With so much history here we decided to go on a walking tour to try and make some sense of it, and we’re really glad we did. Our excellent guide told us how the city was first settled by the Romans and, by the middle ages, had Islamic, Christian and Jewish communities coexisting peacefully most of the time. Toledo went on to become the capital of Spain, and after that was moved to Madrid the city became a religious (Catholic) city with the synagogues and mosques being converted to churches and monasteries. Of these, a couple of mosques and synagogues have been restored. Not surprisingly, Toledo became a UNESCO World Heritage site in the 1980’s. Marzipan is the local speciality food-wise, but we’re not fans!

We’ve had a great few days wandering around the old town. It reminded me a bit of Venice in the way that it’s so easy to get lost, so it was good to have a map in my pocket. There’s plenty to see and do, so it’s worth visiting for a mini-break or day trip from Madrid.

Tomorrow we will leave Toledo and move on to Salamanca.

Mike

Toledo cathedral

This little lane…

… has had a few name changes over the years

Painted ceramic tiles telling the story of Don Quixote

The Mosque of Cristo de la Luz – outside…

… and inside

More painted ceramic tiles

Inside one of the restaurants

Toledo has a history of manufacturing top quality knives and swords…

… we must have seen several thousand on sale

The Alcazar

Statue of Miguel de Cervantes, author of Don Quixote

View over the city

In 1959 local boy Federico Martín Bahamontes was the first Spaniard to win the Tour de France – he also won the polka dot jersey six times

Inside the Synagogue of Santa Maria la Blanca…

… and the Synagogue of El Tránsito

Moi

One of many markers on the Jewish Quarter pavements

The main lane through the Jewish Quarter

The Café of the Nuns – but there wasn’t a real nun to be seen!

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